Packaging machine

ABSTRACT

A PACKAGING MACHINE INCLUDING PACKAGE BLANK HOLDING JIGS EACH HAVING A HINGED COVER WHICH IS HELD CLOSED BY A YIELDABLE STRIP AS THE JIGS ARE FED ALONG A DEFINED PATH.

Jan. 19; 1971 R. A. NEMER 3,555,779

- PACKAGING MACHINE Filed Aug. 1. 1968 I 2 Sheets-Shee t 1 Inventor Russ 6/ A. Nemer 5y i211: Attorney WWQM I Jan. 19, 1971 R. A. NEM ER PACKAGING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 1, 1968 United States Patent US. Cl. 53-373 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A packaging machine including package blank holding jigs each having a hinged cover which is held closed by a yieldable strip as the jigs are fed along a defined path.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention relates to a machine for forming packages from blanks which are held in jigs fed along a defined path through a succession of stations where the blanks are operated upon. More particularly, the invention is directed to means for latching and maintaining the jigs in closed package forming condition as they are fed through certain stations.

Description of the prior art Typical packages which may be formed in a machine embodying the present invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,030,752 and in an application for US. Patent Ser. No. 613,258 filed Feb. 1, 1967 in the name of Irvin S. DeWoskin and now Pat. No. 3,486,615. The machine described herein is of the general type disclosed in said patent and is adapted to feed a succession of jigs carrying flat blanks under a web of film. A portion of the blank underlying the film has an opening forming a window and an article to be packaged is placed on the film. The other portion of the blank which may be solid is folded over the article and clamped against the film and windowed portion of the blank by a cover hinged on the jig. While held by the jig the two portions of the blank are sealed together by activating the film and/or coatings on the blank.

The jigs used in the machine of said patent each were. provided with a rather intricate latching means to hold the jigs closed. Since a large number of jigs are used in the machine, the cost of each individual jig greatly affects the over all cost of the machine. For this reason the individual clamping means for each jig was simplified as shown in an application for US. Patent Ser. No. 734,173, filed June 3, 1968 in the name of Murgatroyd H. Jenkins. This recent simplification reduced cost, but since each jig still required an individual cover latching means, the over all jig cost remained relatively high.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to eliminate the cover latching means for each individual jig and to provide a single means effective to latch all jigs at the appropriate time in the machine cycle. To this end the machine is provided with a resilient strip arranged to overlie the covers of the jigs to hold them closed as they are fed along a portion of the defined feed path of the jigs at least until the parts of the blanks are sealed together to provide completed packages. A portion of the strip is provided with separated parts which are individually yieldable to permit each individual jig cover to be closed and latched without disturbing adjacent portions of the strip which are latching other adjacent jig covers.

Other features of the invention, together with novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will also 3,555,779 Patented Jan. 19, 1971 be described and thereafter particularly pointed out in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of machine embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a completed display package which may be formed on the machine;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a blank from which the package of FIG. 2 may be formed;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the machinewith parts of a sealing station broken away;

FIG'. 5 is a perspective view partly in section showing the jigs in which packages are formed; and

FIG. 6 is a side elevation partly in section of a portion of the mechanism shown in FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a packaging machine of the general type shown in said Pat. No. 3,030,752, but which embodies the present invention. The machine is particularly adapted to produce the package shown in FIG. 2, but also may be adapted to produce other packages, including that shown in said application Ser. No. 613,258. The package 8 of FIG. 2 is formed from a generally flat blank 9 shown in FIG. 3 and has a solid portion 10 connected on a fold line 13 to a portion 12 having a window opening 14. In making the package a film 16 is placed over the portion 12 of the blank spanning the opening 14. An article to be packaged is placed on the film over the opening and the solid portion 10 is folded over the portion 12 along the fold line 13. Thereafter the package is sealed together by activating the film 16 and/or a suitable adhesive coating on the blank.

The machine is provided with a series of jigs 20 which are arranged to be fed to the left as seen in FIG. 1 along a back guideway 22 as well as to the right along a front guideway 24, there being provided means for indexing individual jigs from one guideway to the other. Both guideways comprise a flat table 26 with appropriate rails 28, 30 and 32 which guide the jigs by engagement with flanges 31 (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The jigs are fed along the back guideway 22 by a reciprocating plate (not shown) and are also fed along the front guideway 24 by a reciprocating plate 34 (FIG. 1). As the jigs are moved along the back guideway 22 they pass through a blank feed station 36 at which individual blanks 9 are placed in the open jigs 20 with the blanks partially folded, as seen in FIG. 1. The jigs, each carrying a partially folded blank, are transferred to the front guideway 24 where the windowed portion '12 of the blank underlies a web of film 16 fed from a roll 38. The jigs are fed intermittently to the right along guideway 24 through a station 40 where the film spanning the openings 14 of the blank is heated. If required, due to the nature of an article to be packaged, the heated film may also be pressed through the opening 14 to form a pocket 43 (FIG. 6) for receiving the article.

' After the film is heated and/or formed, the jigs are fed from station 40 to a station 42 where articles to be packaged are placed either manually or automatically on the film over the opening 14 of each blank. The covers of the jigs are then closed either automatically or manually so that the portion 10 of the blank is folded tightly against the portion 12 to enclose the article. The closed jigs then are fed further along guideway 24 into a sealing station 44 where the film 1 6 and/ or coating on the blanks are activated and pressure is applied to seal the two portions of the blank together to complete the package. The jigs are then fed from the sealing station, automatically opened, and the completed packages are removed from the jigs. From the right end of the guideway 24 the empty jigs are transferred to the back guideway 22 by a transfer mechanism 46, not shown in detail.

Each jig, as best seen in FIG. 5, includes a body '50 and a cover 52 connected by a hingle 54. The hinge comprises a torsion bar which is fixed to a block 57 on the body and biases the cover 52 to an upright open position like the left hand cover of FIG. 5. The body 50 is provided with an upstanding pin 55 which receives an opening 56 in the windowed portion 12 of the blank and is also provided with a shoulder 58 which, together with the pin, acts to locate the blank on the body. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the windowed portion 12 of the blank rests on the body '50 and the portion 10 of the blank is partially folded along line 13 and rests against the upright under surface of the cover 52. The body is further provided with a cover locating pin 60 which is received in a hole 62 in the cover 52 when closed on the body, as seen by a comparison of the two jig covers 52in FIG. 5.

Each cover has a ledge 66 which is adapted when the cover is closed to be engaged by a lip 68 of a strip 70 of semi-rigid, but resilient material secured to the guide rail 32. The strip extends from the loading station 42 through the sealing station 44 and terminates just beyond the sealing station as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4. At the article loading station 42 the strip is provided with slots 72 which separate the strip into individual latching portions 74. As seen in FIG. 6, each cover has an inclined surface 76 which acts against a camming surface 78 on strip 70 as the cover is closed to cause the latching portion 74 to yield to the position shown in dotted lines in FIG' 6 to permit the ledge 66 of the cover to snap under the lip 68 of the latching portion 74. Since the portion 74 of the strip extends only the width of a cover 52 an individual cover may be closed and/or opened without disturbing the adjacent portion 74 which is latching an adjacent cover. The strip 70 extends unbroken through the sealing station 44 to hold the jig covers in closed condition while each package blank is sealed. The jigs are fed to the right from station 44 and as they pass beyond the end of strip 70 the biasing hinges 54 cause the jig covers to open automatically so that the completed packages may be removed from the jig.

It should be apparent from the foregoing that the jig latching means described may be modified so as to be 4 useful in other machines, including that disclosed in application Ser. No. 734,173 without departing from the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is novel and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for forming packages from fiat blanks held in jigs fed along a defined path, each jig having a body holding a blank, and a cover hinged to the body, said cover being biased to an open position for placement of the blank on the body and being movable to a closed position for clamping the blank in package forming condition against the body, the improvement comprising a stationary strip of resilient material past which the jigs are fed and having a ledge overlying said path for holding the cover of each jig in closed position as the jig is fed along said path, said strip being yieldable to permit the cover to be closed and latched by the strip.

2. A machine according to claim 1 in which the strip is provided with a separated part which is individually yieldable to permit a jig cover to be closed and latched by the part.

3,. A machine according to claim 2 in which a plurality of separated parts are provided to permit individual covers of a plurality of jigs to be closed or opened without aflFecting the latching of covers of adjacent jigs in said path.

4. A machine according to claim 1 in which the machine is provided with a station for sealing each blank in package forming condition while held by a jig, and said strip extends through said station whereby each jig cover is held closed by the strip as it enters and is fed through said station, said strip terminating beyond said station in the direction of the jig feed whereby the jig cover is automatically opened after the package is sealed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,030,752 4/1962 De Woskin 53266 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,152,849 2/1958 France 18-4 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner R. L. SPRUILL, Assistant Examiner 

